From the penalty box

In “After last night,” on the morning of November 9, I noted Donald Trump’s “improbable victory” over Hillary Clinton in the presidential election and consigned myself to the penalty box for “the next few months.” I might have adapted Lincoln’s statement on the Supreme Court’s Dred Scott decision and called it “an astonisher” in our political history.

I called a “minor penalty” on myself “for manifest errors of understanding, of prediction and of pessimism over the past year.” Shouldn’t that be a major penalty? Seems six months would be more like it. (The penalty is self-imposed silence on presidential politics.)

I need to take some time for study and reflection to learn from my errors. That was my intention. I certainly hope to use the time constructively. At the moment I am reading Steve Hayward’s forthcoming book, Patriotism Is Not Enough. Reading Steve’s book is time well spent, to say the least. From the penalty box I also recommend Niall Ferguson’s American Interest essay “Donald Trump’s new world order” and Victor Davis Hanson’s NRO column “A party of teeth-gnashers.”

In any event, I would like to turn From the Penalty Box into a series for the time of my confinement just to remind readers that I’m still in here. Go ahead, pile on.

Looking for a thumbnail image to accompany the series, I found the 2015 USA Today article on the time the Philadelphia Flyers had a five-man party in the penalty box (photo below). Now that’s the spirit. I’m not calling penalties on anyone but myself, but I’m trying to set a good example and I probably should have some company in here!